Funds approved to pay for 'liquor by the drink' election

Published 3:38 am, Sunday, March 12, 2017

A copy of the petition that was signed by those seeking the application for petition to bring liquor by the drink to the Justice Precinct 3 area.

A copy of the petition that was signed by those seeking the application for petition to bring liquor by the drink to the Justice Precinct 3 area.

Photo: David Taylor

Funds approved to pay for 'liquor by the drink' election

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Liberty County commissioners have approved funds that will pay for expenses in the May 6, 2017 election to decide whether a justice precinct may sell liquor by the drink.

Faced with a shortfall in her annual election budget of $80,000, County Clerk Paulette Williams was forced to ask commissioners for funds to pay for the local option election in Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 since her funds had been depleted by the large presidential election in the fall.

"We had business owners in the Moss Hill area who supplied the required 10 signatures to request an application for a petition and then it has to be published in the paper," she said.

Once approved, the petition was taken to Voter Registrar Ricky Brown who approved it.

"Once it was approved, I gave them the petition and they were required to get a percentage of the voters in order for the petition to appear on the ballot," Williams said. County commissioners approved the petition during their Feb. 14 meeting and the signatures were obtained.

"The county is required to pay for the election. Since it's in a justice precinct, the county pays for the election," she said.

The measure would legalize the sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages, Williams said.

"There was an election years ago where Rye approved this, but I believe it was in a different precinct when that was done and so they have to have another election with the new boundaries," the county clerk said.

The election only covers the Justice Precinct 3 that includes Hardin, Romayor, Rye and Moss Hill.

"The city of Hardin already has a local option, they're wet," Williams said, "and they will be able to vote in this election since they are part of that precinct."

Williams said the request typically comes from restaurants and businesses who want to sell liquor by the drink.

In 2015, the city of Liberty passed the measure first, then Dayton, Cleveland and Hardin. Dayton's first attempt was thrown out on a technicality.

"I think they realized how much money they were losing because the bigger restaurants wouldn't come to our area if they couldn't sell liquor," said County Judge Jay Knight.

Knight said the markup on liquor is fairly high.

County Tax Assessor-Collector Rick Brown said it was simple economics.

There were 483 signatures turned in on the petition, more than was necessary.

"We will have a full election with all four of the locations open," the county clerk said.

There are 4,218 voters in those precincts and state statutes compel the county to have a ballot for every registered voter plus 10 percent in the event additional voters move into the precinct before the election.

More than 4,600 ballots will be ordered, the payroll and numerous additional expenses will drive the cost to over $10,000.

The county clerk said she will set up all four locations, and while only required by law to open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for early voting, asked for and received permission from commissioners to open for 12 hours on the first and last days of early voting.

"Those are the two biggest days in early voting and it would give voters an opportunity to vote after work. It increases the cost approximately $300," Williams said, mostly for payroll at the four locations.

Early voting will be at Hardin City Hall.

One location had to be scratched because of a conflict of interest.

"Our Moss Hill voting location is at the Moss Hill Pentecostal Church," Williams said. "[The pastor] was called and notified of the election and reminded that they are a polling location and our team asked him if he would rather not have the election at his church, and he said he didn't want to have it there."

-- Approved a project at the main courthouse to replace the grout, plaster and paint for waterproofing;

-- And tabled the idea of moving issuance of culvert permits on county roads from the engineering department to each precinct office with permit monies staying in each precinct to cover cost of inspection and installation until it could be studied further.